Monoclonal antibodies are hugely important as research tools, diagnostics and therapeutics. This is, in large part, due to the fact that monoclonal antibodies can be selected to bind with high specificity and affinity to almost any structural epitope.
Classical methods of immunizing animals to obtain antibodies are slow and cumbersome and, as a result, many in vitro selection techniques have been now developed. Examples of the techniques include nucleic acid display, phage display, retroviral display, and cell surface display (e.g., yeast, mammalian, and bacterial cells). In spite of these technological developments, it is still relatively difficult to obtain antibodies that possess the desired kinetic properties, selectivity, biophysical properties, and immunogenicity necessary for therapeutic use.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved methods for the selection of antibodies against a desired target.